Download photo of Bret Amundson at the AGLOW conference
GRANITE FALLS, Minn. — Prairie Sportsman received three awards at the annual Association of Great Lakes Outdoor Writers conference in Bemidji. The awards were presented to AGLOW members Bret Amundson, Prairie Sportsman host /editor, and Dan Amundson, videographer/editor, at the September 21 “Awards-In-Craft” ceremony attended by outdoor content creators of television, newspaper, magazine, radio, podcast and vlog media from across the country. The popular outdoor show Prairie Sportsman is a production of Pioneer PBS and airs on all PBS stations in Minnesota and surrounding states with major funding from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund.
In the "Best of Broadcast, Electronic Media TV, Video, Webcast or Vlog Hunting" category, the segment titled "Finding Fawns" took 1st place.
"Finding Fawns:" White-tailed deer in Minnesota enjoy a variety of landscapes – from big wooded tracts in the north to bounties of food in the farmlands of the south and west and backyard flowers in the metro areas. They also face a lot of danger from predators like coyotes, wolves and black bears and highways and harsh winters. Having the right amount of proper habitat is important to sustaining a healthy population of deer in the state. Figuring out what that is rests on the shoulders of wildlife biologists with the Minnesota DNR. “Finding Fawns” looks at one study being used to determine the habits of deer involves locating fawns with a thermal drone, then fitting them with a tracking device. Watch it here on YouTube.
In the "Best of Broadcast, Electronic Media TV, Video, Webcast or Vlog Fishing" category, the segment titled "Muskies and Uninvited Guests" took 1st place.
"Muskies and Uninvited Guests:" One of the most difficult fish to catch in Minnesota is the muskie. Often dubbed the “fish of 10,000 casts,” muskies have become an obsession for a hardcore group of anglers in the state. Searching for this apex predator has spawned a variety of presentations used to coax them into biting. Host Bret Amundson heads out with Lock Jaw Guide Service owner Randin Olson to try and put a few toothy critters in the boat. Dan Amundson comes along and some personal bests are beaten. Olson will explain all the gear used and show how he achieves success before catching a special muskie.
The next segment, “Little Critter Copper Control,” looks at applying copper in lakes to eradicate zebra mussels. While copper controls are commercially available, permits are required to apply the pesticides as they can be harmful to other aquatic life. Researchers at the Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center are testing the impact of very low concentrations of copper on veligers, which are young zebra mussels. Tests at Lake Minnetonka and Pelican Lake have had good results and researchers are continuing tests at other lakes and a mobile laboratory. The "Fast Forage" segment highlights the versatile Wild Meadow Garlic, which offers a rich garlic flavor that can be used with a variety of wild ingredients. This plant species can be found in Minnesota's prairie lands and is one of the earliest plants to sprout up in the spring, making early to mid-June an optimal time for harvesting. Additionally, the entire plant is edible, allowing for a variety of culinary uses. Watch it here on YouTube.
